4th of July Parade Costumes!

Make some easy all-American costumes and decorate bikes, wagons -- even the family pet - for a neighborhood parade. This patriotic birthday bash could be the beginning of a great family and neighborhood tradition.

The Red, White, and Blue Caped Crusader!This costume is sure to catch the eye of everyone attending the parade! You will need red, white, and blue felt cloth, red and blue or clear plastic stars from the local craft store, a glue gun or fabric glue, a hole punch, safety scissors, one-and-a-half inch-wide red, white, and blue-striped ribbon, and quarter-inch wide red ribbon.

Use the hole punch to make a hole at each end of the cape's collar. Cut the red, white, and blue ribbon into two one-yard lengths and tie one piece of ribbon through each hole.

Next, cut out large stars in red felt and smaller stars in white felt.

Using the glue gun or fabric glue, adhere the red stars to the cape. Check out the cape template for suggested designs. Next, glue the white stars on top of the red stars for super star power! You can now glue on the plastic stars, if desired, to complete the cape.

For the masked 4th of July caped crusader, cut out the larger part of the mask in blue felt cloth and the smaller in red felt.

Be sure to cut out the eyeholes in each mask layer so that they line up. Glue the red mask on the blue mask and decorate it by gluing plastic stars above the eyeholes.

To complete the mask, punch a hole in each corner and tie red ribbon through each hole. The ribbon should be long enough wrap around the back of the child's head and tie.

If you use fabric glue to make this costume rather than the glue gun, allow it to dry overnight before wearing it.

Lady Liberty!Who wouldn't adore this lovely Lady Liberty?

You will need a plastic or satin-covered headband, quarter-inch wide red and blue ribbon or cord, blue tinsel pipe cleaners, small clear plastic stars, medium red and clear plastic stars (each about one and a quarter inches wide), a glue gun, and glue sticks.

Start with the headpiece. Attach one end of the red and blue ribbon or cord to the inside end of the headband with the glue gun. Continue wrapping the ribbon or cord around the headband and secure the end again with the glue gun.

Using the blue tinsel pipe cleaners, form triangle points and glue them across the top of the headband.

Once you have secured the tinsel pipe cleaner to the top of the headband, continue by gluing six narrow blue ribbons or cords, cut in varying lengths, to the top of the headband to create streamers.

Using the glue gun, attach small clear stars over the ends of each blue streamer attached to the headband. Now, glue the remaining medium-size clear stars to the ends of each blue ribbon streamer. You're finished!

Dress Lady Liberty in a red, white, or blue dress to complete the costume.

Decorate Your Bike or Wagon For The Parade!Enlist the help of Mom and Dad to decorate a bicycle, tricycle, or wagon to ride or pull in the big parade.

Buy lots of red, white, and blue helium-filled balloons, ribbons, and streamers. Using the ribbons, tie the balloons to the back of the seat of the bikes or wagon.

Wrap streamers around the handlebars, leaving a trailing streamer from each handlebar. Secure the streamers with tape that will be easy to remove later.

Wrap the entire handle of a wagon with streamers. Then cut and attach a few streamers to the back end of the wagon for a festive look.

Drum roll: Let the parade begin!

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